would be migrants... lets meet up in the Bulls Head in Chichester... we will not talk or discuss anything. After which we we can come on here and discuss cheese and the best place to buy it... and generally boost each others egos with mundane posts... and yes i am grouchy and stressed... its too early to be sat at work waiting for an email from Adelaide... but i want to know about Australia life not how much cheese is in someones fridge... is life that boring in Brisbane?

Well pardon me for breathing. I suggest you find that nice little "ignore feature" and add me to it.
Was thinking of a quick visit back home, I'm sure I could make it to the meet in Chichester.......

Come on now - dont get stressed otu and grouchy in the morning. Have you been waiting long for your visa? Where do you want to go?

Debs

There lots of very useful info on here just do a search if no one can help.
Its good to chat about trivial things aswell it takes your mind off all the stresses of migration

We have validated visas... waiting for Adelaid to get back to sort out a problem... the reason for stress is the reality of falling exchange rate... high cost of housing... cost of living... unlike many on here for us its a major concern... lifestyle is linked to money and we cannot afford to waste any of it... my husband has said for months its not worth the cost and grief... finally i have ralised he is right... for most part the forum is very helpful with good information... it does seem though you have to be part of the cliche to be able to post on certain subjects... i fail to see the relavance of who went out with who for the weekend and to then discuss the virtues of Australian cheese... could just be me... or are others just thinking it... is there no chat rooms or email in Brisbane... if i go out with friend from work for lunch... i do not then post on forum what i had and how wonderful it was... and then chat about mundane crap for all to see... i converse with her at lunch... sorry but i feel better now i have had a good rant... now wheres the boss its his turn...

Dear :0) Well, I'm glad you feel better, now its my turn to get something off my chest. I've validated my visa too. I am now sitting in a strange house, with none of my belongings cos they are all on a ship somewhere. I have no job, because the visa in my passport says "Provisional...." so they all think I'm going to up and leave next month. When/if I do get a job I will be taxed at 48% becos the visa says "Provisional...." - cos the ATO do not believe I am actually living here, even though I am marrying an Aussie. I have an overdraft up to my eyeballs cos I have no job, I would like to worry about the exchange rate but I am so broke that there isn't any point. I have a broke fiance who is having to pay for everything. I am in a country where I don't know how things work, where I can't find the things I need to get, where my Bloke is at work all day then we spend half the night fighting cos we are both used to living on our own & haven't got used to each other yet. My new family are fighting over who is spending Christmas with who, and then when I point out that they are lucky to be able to spend Christmas with their family, as I don't have the option, they look at me as if I am barking mad. Apart from a couple of people from this forum I have no one here I can talk to face to face.
This forum has kept me sane for longer than I can remember, and I can only apologise if my vain attempts to put a smile on a few faces while people wait for their visas have got up your nose.
I hope you get your visa problem sorted out and I hope you have a lovely life.

We are in a similar position finance wise .... we sold our house for less than we wanted are being charged £1,500 for early redemtion fees off the building society and are into negative equity on our year old car. Then theres the mere costs of applying for a pr visa ..... meds,xrays,fees,photos etc. Paying off the credit cards, paying estate agents, solicitors, paying for shipping, booking the flights which I have got for a real bargain at last and all the time Im thinking god what will we be able to afford once we get there. I was thinking at the beginning that we would not have a mortgage but now Im reconciled to the fact that we may..... (stops for quicker breather).... but honestly I still want to do this more than ever I think it will be so good for my family.

Hi :0)
Sorry to hear that you've been coping with all that stress, but I feel I have to respond to what else you said in your post. Firstly, I don't actually think that this forum is clicky, in my experience. I've been using it since August (but browsed for a few months before) and have all sorts of chats, had people get back to me quickly when I needed help and had a laugh too. I actually find it interesting to see what people got up to at the weekend as I feel I "know" them by now. I think you'll find that most of the forum users are a friendly bunch.
Good luck
Bring on the cheese!
Larissa

Please get your happy face back on! You'll feel much better. Things will start looking up soon and you've the Brisbane meet to look forward to.

I hope when my time comes, I'll have people to be supportive of me too. Any others don't matter.

Jane

well said polly
and 2086 posts beats 4-especially when they actually contain useful info(anybody need to check out about finger prints/fiancee visa etc -you know who to ask!)
its the little things that keeps us sane before /during or after the
whole process-had to put mine off for 4 months cause agent f'ed up-never posted that here just kept it to myself and relied on the banter and the stories of those who were waiting waiting -got it!!!!!.would have been nicely on target for the june/july goldrush but now looking at a longer wait.
Like you the xchange rate aint much use to me etheir way.
you keep going girl -you have been a rock on this forum(others come others go!)
hope it all works out for you

Dear Pollyanna, your point is taken... and thank you so much for posting such a realistic reply... i just wish more people would be that honest... being new here its difficult to know what people have been through... the good news is i am less stressed... as for giving advice... my advice for anyone with ex husbands is to kill them... it will save you years of grief especially when it comes to migration... why are the bast***s only interested in their kids when it suits them to screw up your life... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... Pollyanna keep posting... keep sane... i have lost my sanity...

Hello Pollyanna,

Well you have brightened my day because it strted off really bad and didn't really get too much better, but after enduring 2 and 1/2 hours of australian pop idol (nothing else on TV) I have read this thread and your current stresses make mine pale into insignificance. Thank you

I always thought you were very brave in your move to Australia, and I never doubted from reading your posts that you were well able to deal with the challenges you faced. Many of your posts have shed some light on your daily realities and I believe the hard work doesn't really start until you arrive.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, I think the expat forum is a valuable tool for supporting those of us who are Expats to deal with the downs and celebrate the ups of migration. When we're having a bad day its good to share it. I really felt like posting how I was feeling today and ended up staying away from the forum because of the aggro I would get. I think there is an imbalance of pressure for those of us in OZ/NZ to keep the spirits up of those still in UK.

Anyway, another day is nearly over, Guy is the new idol, I managed to avoid my mothers repeated pleas of please fly home for christmas!!! Chris has made some lovely crumpets with philadelphia cheese (don't start don't the cheese thing) and a cup of tetley and the world seems a little brighter especially as the rain should be soon gone and warming up to 35 by Saturday

Good luck with everything

Donna

Steady now, easy does it. Remember those rose tinted things that we don't want slipping.

Oh dear Polly, I hope that things will get better soon for you.

Debs

Keep your chin up Pollyana, hopefully you will land a job a soon i suppose the bright side is that you are struggling through the situation together and not thousands of miles apart.

footie chick